Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”-

, by limiting the network, certain connections can be strengthened and finally used as magic tools, such as the [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate].

 

“So, you're saying that we can use the [Communication Magic Stone] made from a Curbstone, regain its function as a Curbstone, and use it as the main unit?”

 

Inda nodded her head in agreement with Jihad's confirmation.

If they could do that, they might be able to rebuild the communication network.

But this mechanism that used Curbstone and the [Communication Magic Stone] was created by the Gloaurum Institute, the continent's leading technological institution.
So it was impossible for ordinary people to make magic stones that could replace Curbstone so easily.

 

“Is it possible?”

“The connection between the two stones is so thin that it's almost nonexistent, but it's not completely gone.
As we did before, with the help of Shīna-san and Tima-san, I think it is possible to build a communication network for a short time.
However, the [Communication Magic Stone] itself was not originally built for the purpose of maintaining such a large communication network.
……”

 

Based on what Inda just said, the [Communication Magic Stone]s were created to operate as a communication terminal, not as the main unit for a communication network like a Curbstone.

However, with the help of people with unique abilities such as Shīna and Tima, it might be possible.

 

“…
but the risk is higher.”

“Yes.
But I believe the chances of success are not small.”

 

Inda glanced at Shīna and Tima who were standing behind her.
There was a hint of expectation in her eyes.

Normally, Jihad would not allow such a reckless plan.
But if Inda herself said so, it mean that the chances of success were not low at all.

Jihad pondered.

There was definitely a risk.
To be honest, there was also the possibility of an explosion like the one that had just occurred.

However, it was certainly necessary to rebuild the communication network as soon as possible.
Even though they have messengers, the difference in responsiveness was obvious.

After collecting his thoughts, Jihad turned his attention back to Shīna and Tima.

 

“…
Let's do it.
Inda-dono and Tom-kun, you will construct the magic formula for communication with the [Communication Magic Stone], and Tima-kun and Shīna-kun, you will expand and maintain the magic path that is about to disappear.”

“Y-yes!”

“I understand.”

 

As if jolted by Jihad's voice, Tima and the others began to move.

One step away from the magic formation so as not to interfere with their work, Jihad was stroking the handle of the Jaw Drop in his back and calling out to Mauzu.

 

“Mauzu, in case of emergency, I will destroy the magic stone.”

“Understood.
I'll prepare a magic barrier to protect them.”

 

While nodding to each other, watch over the Inda and the others.

While nodded to each other, they watched over Inda and the others.

Then, a few minutes later, powerful light flooded in from the investigation headquarters.

 

 

 

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Nozomu was in his dormitory room with Barozza and Jibin, they wondered why the [Communication Magic Stone] had gone silent.

 

“Jibin, is there still no communication from headquarters?”

“Yes, we've completely lost all communication.”

 

Barozza put his hand on his forehead and looked up to the sky.

Nozomu, who had been watching Barozza and Jibin by the side, was trying to figure out the cause of this sudden situation, but honestly, he had too little information.

 

“…
What happened?”

 

Nozomu asked Barozza and Jibin if they know what might have caused it, but considering how they behaved just now, it was pretty sure they were just as clueless as Nozomu are.

 

“Who knows …
This magic stone was like a prototype that was just made, so I wouldn't be surprised if anything like this happened.”

 

Barozza shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “It can't be helped”.

However, it would not be good if things went on like this.
In this operation, Nozomu was not supposed to take any aggressive action to ensure his alibi.

A hint of impatience began to appear on Nozomu's face.

It wasn't so bad when he was still able to exchange up-to-date information through the communication network, but when he thought about the fact that Ken was up to something, he felt like he couldn't just sit still.

However, he couldn't just make reckless moves here and now.
If he didn't act with a clear understanding of the situation, he might end up dragging down his allies.

Nozomu took a deep breath and exhaled to push away his impatience.

Then he called out to Barozza, who was talking about this and that while facing Jibin with a useless magic stone in his hand.

 

“Barrozza-san, why don't you go to headquarters for confirmation, just in case? If I come along with you, we can prove my alibi…”

 

After hearing Nozomu's suggestion, Barozza put his hand on his chin and began to ponder.
He was probably pondering whether or not Nozomu's suggestion was okay.

Indeed, their mission was to secure Nozomu's alibi.
As long as they didn't lose sight of his position, their actual mission wouldn't be hindered.

 

“Hmm.
But you know, there are messengers at the headquarters, right?　The other teams that are patrolling the city are not moving, so we should wait until the messenger arrives.
That way, we won't get mixed up and we'll spend less time figuring out what's going on.”

 

Barozza pondered for a moment, but considering the fact that there were messengers at the headquarters, he rejected Nozomu's suggestion.

As Barozza said, there were messengers at the headquarters just in case of an emergency.
They were deployed in case something went wrong in the course of the investigation and communication could not be established.

If they moved inappropriately instead, it might result in a delay in the understanding of the situation.
Barozza seemed to have made his decision.

As for Nozomu, he nodded his head in agreement with Barozza, thinking that there would be no problem if the messenger arrived.

The impatience was still swirling inside of Nozomu's mind, but it seemed to have eased slightly once he had decided on a course of action.

 

“Hmm?”

 

At that moment, Jibin's eyes squinted as he tried to communicate with the other team.

He put the communication stone in his hand to his ear and listened carefully, trying to pick up the slightest sound.

 

“Senior, someone's voice is coming from the stone…”

“Oh~! Is it fixed?”

 

Barozza's face broke into a smile at Jibin's report.
Nozomu and Barozza rushed to the magic stone that Jibin held in his hand.

As the three of them listened carefully, they soon heard a muffled voice mixed with a sandstorm-like sound.

 

“…
de, da…!”

“We can't hear it very well…”

“I'm afraid the communication network still seems to be having problems.”

 

The voice coming from the magic stone was drowned out by the noise scratching at the inside of their ears, making it impossible to grasp even a single word.

The voice itself was so small that if they were not focused, they could miss it.
The three of them brought their faces closer and tried to understand the content of the communication.

 

“…Looks like something happened, doesn't it?”

 

The voice coming from the magic stone was very small and almost inaudible, but Nozomu felt a sense of urgency in the voice.

He wasn't sure if it was the same for Barozza and Jibin, but they nodded slightly at Nozomu's words.

 

“I think so too.
There seems to be a sense of panic in the voice…
Jibin, try to put more magic power into the communication magic stone.”

“I understand.”

 

As Jibin poured more magic power into the communication stone, the red light intensified and the noise like a sandstorm became louder.
This was evidence that the magic power he had poured into the stone had increased the sensitivity of the communication.

It became a problem that the noise was getting louder, but it couldn't be helped if they wanted to amplify it to the point where they could hear the voice.

Frowning at the noise that resounded in their ears, Nozomu and the others closed their eyes and listened closely, trying not to miss the faint voice that was lost in the sandstorm-like noise.

 

“…! Ken…
Ecross …”

 

The voice was lost in the noise to the point of being almost inaudible, but this time they could clearly grasp the words.
However, Nozomu and the others were shocked by the words.

 

“O-oi, it said Ecross …”

“A school affiliated with the Solminati Academy…”

 

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The suspect's name and the word “Ecross” that they heard.
The same speculation flashed through the minds of the three of them, and at the same time they broke out in sweats.

Ken's goal was…
to undermine Nozomu.

The students who attend Ecross were like little treasures of the future with infinite potential.

And considering what Ken had done so far, Ken would no longer question the means to achieve his goal.

 

“~ !?”

 

At the same time, a worst-case scenario that sliced through the heart came to Nozomu's mind.

If Ken was targeting the students of Ecross, who would be the most appropriate target for him?

Without a moment's pause, a girl with her lustrous black hair trimmed beautifully and a big smile on her face like the sun shining in the sky came to Nozomu's mind.

The next moment, Nozomu stood up as if he had been hit by a bullet and rushed to the door of his room.

 

“Ken's target is probably Somia-chan! I'm heading to Ecross now! Jibin-san, please inform the messenger who will come here about what's going on!”

 

After getting to know Irisdina and the others, Somia also had many opportunities to go to school with them.
No wonder Ken knew about Somia, the dark-haired princess's younger sister!

 

Perhaps couldn't afford to spare even a little time to turn the knob, Nozomu broke through the door of his room without hesitation and ran out into the hallway.

Barozza was momentarily stunned by Nozomu's sudden action, but he quickly regained his composure.

Barozza grabbed his beloved sword, which he kept nearby, and followed Nozomu out of the room.
Perhaps startled by the sound of Nozomu kicking down the door earlier, the students came out into the hallway to see what was going on.

Everyone opened their eyes wide when they saw a middle-aged man coming out of Nozomu's room.

 

“I'm chasing after that little boy! Jibin, pass the message to the messenger!”

“Y-yes !?”

 

Exposed to curiosity and strange gazes from the surroundings, Barozza rushed after Nozomu, entrusting the message to Jibin.

 

“I'm counting on you! Boy! Wait a minute!”

 

Barozza desperately moved his legs while chasing Nozomu's figure as it shrunk into the end of the hallway.

Nozomu leaned out of the stairs and continued to jump down to the floor below.
When he reached the first floor, he ran as fast as he could again.
He sprinted in a straight line through the hall.

The door to the main entrance made such a loud noise that it seemed to have broken, and Nozomu dashed out of the open door and into the darkness of the night.

Behind Nozomu, Barozza was still shouting, but Nozomu didn't seem to hear him at all.

While completely ignoring the voice calling for him to stop, Nozomu continued to run frantically, driven by impatience.

 

 

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“Senpai! Nozomu-kun! Oh gosh!”

 

It was Jibin who was left alone in the dormitory room.
While cursing at the two who ran off without a second thought, Jibin quickly packed his belongings and ran out of the dormitory.

He ran as fast as he could through the already dark streets, his destination was Solminati Academy, where the investigation headquarters was located.

 

“Haa, haa, haa! Guh~!”

 

Breathing hard, Jibin tried to hurry up and tell the others about the situation as soon as possible.
The next moment, however, he suddenly felt an intense pain in his chest.

 

“What's the …
Guah!”

 

The pain was so great that Jibin couldn't help but stop in his tracks.
At the same time, an unpleasant voice echoed in Jibin's head.

 

(I found it…)

 

Even though there was supposed to be no one around, Jibin could hear the voice clearly in his mind.
And as the voice echoed in his head, the pain in his chest grew even worse.

 

(I found it, I found it…
Someone suitable, qualified, and compatible…)

 

“F-found it? W-what the heck are you talking about…
uaa.
Gi~! Gaa~ !”

 

A nauseating sensation as if something was crawling around inside his body, and intense pain as if his internal organs were being churned.
Jibin's face suddenly turned pale, and he began to sweat profusely.

He kneeled down on the ground and hugged himself, but the pain showed no sign of subsiding.

His vision blurred as the intense pain tore through his body, and his whole body continued to stiffen.

Eventually, the sound of something tearing echoed through the air.
Then a heat like a burning iron pressed against his body.

 

“……Eh?”

 

When Jibin inadvertently looked at his own hand, which were tightening involuntarily, he saw that they were covered with a sticky red liquid.

Along with the reddish-black mass covered in blood, a snake-like creature was peeking out from his belly.

An eyeless snake covered in black scales.
While Jibin was dumbfounded by the creature that came out of his body, the blind snake was looking up at the sky with its sickle-like head.

Eventually, the flesh of the head-like part of the snake tore apart and spread into four petals, and countless fangs sprouted from within.
And as the scales on its entire body flipped around, countless red eyes peeked out with their cold gazes.

 

“……Aa.”

 

The eyes, as red as fresh blood, stared at Jibin.
Unable to comprehend what he had just encountered, Jibin's consciousness plunged into total darkness.